Automated fluid chemical analyzer

ABSTRACT

A FULLY AUTOMATED FLUID CHEMICAL ANALYZER INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE ANALYZER UNIT HAVING THE ANALYTICAL EQUIPMENT FOR PERFORMING AN ANALYSIS OF A FLUID-REAGANT MIXTURE AND GENERATING AN ELECTRICAL SIGNAL PROPORTIONAL TO THE QUANTITY OF A SELECTED CONSTITUENT IN THE FLUID. THE APPARATUS IS OPERATED AND CONTROLLED BY AN ELECTRONIC LOGIC AND SEQUENCER CIRCUIT WHICH DRIVES VALVE MOTORS TO CONNECT A SELECTOR AND A CONTROL VALVE IN EACH ANALYZER UNIT TO A FLUID TO BE ANALYZED, REAGENT SOLUTIONS, CALIBRATE SOLUTIONS, AND RINSE SOLUTIONS. THE SOLUTIONS NEEDED FOR THE ANALYSIS OF A FLUID ARE SELF-CONTAINED WITHIN THE APLPARATUS. ALSO SELF-CONTAINED WITHIN THE APPARATUS ARE ALL THE DRIVE MOTORS AND TIMING MECHANISMS NECESSARY FOR AUTOMATED OPERATION OF THE ANALYZER APPARATUS. A DATA HANDLING SYSTEM IS ALSO INCLUDED WITHIN THE APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING AND PROCESSING THE ELECTRICAL SIGNALS PRODUCED BY THE ANALYZER UNITS. EACH ANALYZER UNIT IN ADDITION TO THE SELECTOR AND CONTROL VALVES INCLUDES A TEST CELL FOR RECEIVING A MIXTURE OF THE FLUID TO BE ANALYZED AND THE CHEMICAL REAGENTS AND ANY CHEMICAL MODIFYING SOLUTIONS NEEDED FOR THE ANALYSIS. THE VARIOUS FLUIDS ARE DRAWN INTO THE TEST CELL AND EXPELLED THEREFROM BY A MICROSYRINGE PUMP INCLUDED IN EACH ANALYZER. EACH ANALYZER UNIT CONTAINS AN APPROPRIATE ANALYTICAL DEVICE SUCH AS A COLORIMETER OR FLUOROMETER FOR PERFORMING THE ACTUAL ANALYSIS AND GENERATING THE ELECTRICAL SIGNAL WHICH IS TRANSMITTED TO THE DATA HANDLING SYSTEM. A HEATER AND TEMPERATURE SENSOR MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE TEST CELL TO CONTROL ITS TEMPERATURE DURING THE ANALYSIS. FOR THE ANALYSIS OF A FLUID FOR THE QUANTITATIVE DETERMINATION OF CREATINE AND CREATININE, A SINGLE CHEMICAL REAGENT CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF PICRIC ACID, A METAL HYDROXIDE, AND A METAL SALT STABILIZER IS UDED. THE ANALYSIS IS PERFORMED AFTER THE PH OF THE FLUID BEING ANALYZED HAS BEEN ADJUSTED BY THE APPARATUS TO FROM 0.1 TO 1.

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